Ellen Schmidt, Master Electrician

What has Staff Senate done for you?

UCO Staff Senate was created in the spring of 2014 to represent all UCO staff. In that time, we have passed thirty-two resolutions and thirteen proposals, all with the goal of supporting UCO staff and our broader UCO community.

Topics considered by the Staff Senate have included parking, performance reviews, expanding benefits, child care on campus, and supporting diversity and inclusion, among many others.

Some notable successes for the Staff Senate include:

Staff Senate Proposals

• Expanding how employees can use leave in FMLA cases
  • Staff Senate proposed no longer limiting the use of sick leave in FMLA cases for maternity/paternity/adoption/foster care placement and amending the leave share policy that excluded the birth, placement, or adoption of a child from eligibility in the use of shared leave.
    • FMLA and Accrued Leave (SSP 2016/2017-001) and Leave Share Amendment (SSP 2016/1017-002)
    • Both accepted effective July 1, 2017

• Adding optional short-term disability insurance to our benefits package
  • Staff Senate proposed that UCO offer optional short-term disability insurance to qualified employees.
    • Request for Short Term Disability Insurance (SSP 2016/2017-003)
    • Accepted effective October 26, 2018

Joint Proposals with Faculty Senate

• Prevented our tuition waiver benefit from losing value as tuition increased, along with increasing the credits allowed
  • The Senates proposed that our tuition waiver be converted from a set dollar amount into a credit hour amount, along with a gradual increase from eight credit hours in the 2019 fiscal year to fourteen credit hours in the 2022 fiscal year
    • Tuition Waiver Benefit (SSP 2017/2018-001 & FSP 2017/2018-005)
    • Accepted effective July 1, 2018 (with the clarification that the benefit is defined as the value of the predetermined number of credit hours of undergraduate general tuition in any given fiscal year.)

• Made contributing to Oklahoma Teacher’s Retirement System more affordable
  • The Senates requested that employees’ OTRS contributions be deducted in smaller amounts over twelve months instead of larger amounts over a shorter period of time. Spreading the contributions over a longer period of time means that more employees can afford to participate.
    • Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System Deduction Schedule Modification (SSP 2015/2016-002 & FS-02 2015/2016)
    • Accepted effective July 1, 2016

Joint Proposal with Faculty Senate and UCOSA

• Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, and UCOSA all passed separate proposals about a Chosen Name Policy, but they collaborated on language and agreed that a policy would be beneficial to the University
  • The Chosen Name Policy will give the opportunity for faculty, staff, and students of the institution to self-identify their chosen name and have the name reflected on: UCO Central Directory, email display names, I.D. cards, Desire2Learn (D2L), and class rosters. It is the mission of the Staff Senate to promote this effort, allowing individuals to select their chosen name without needing to provide proof to the institution that a legal name change has occurred.
    • Chosen Name Policy (SSP 2019/2020-002)
    • Accepted June 22, 2020

Over the years, Staff Senate has assisted in clarifying, supporting, or improving the decisions of the University while advocating for all staff. Does that sound like something you want to be involved with? Watch for a call-for-nominations email early in the spring semester, and nominate yourself or someone you think would represent you well. Do you have an idea you’d like the Staff Senate to consider? Contact a Senator from your division.

Staff Senate meetings are open to the UCO community. You can find information about upcoming meetings here, and minutes from previous meetings here.